I wanted to share a newsletter I get with you. I thought this was very encouraging and I want to continue to strive to let Christ's light shine in all that I do. I hope you will find encouragement here. You may want to subscribe to the newsletter too. (The photo is a preview of the portrait I'm currently working on. I'll post again when I'm done. It's a full body 36" x 30" oil....I love painting!)
March 4, 2010
Volume 5, Number 5
This is the bi-weekly e-newsletter you requested from the National Women's Department, to bring an encouraging perspective to the hectic lifestyles of career women and working moms.
Let Hope Shine in Your Work
by Kristin Huffman
I remember when my first-born child was beginning to chow down on real food. I tried diligently to introduce him to a variety of pureed vegetables, fruits, and meats, all in the appropriate order. But he had his definite likes and dislikes. He’d gravitate toward sweet potatoes, carrots, and pumpkin and refuse the green things. Being the firm, principled mother, I let him have what he wanted.
One morning he woke up and looked like he had a tan, one of the instant bottle-variety tans. In fact, he was orange. I carried him all over the house to look at him in different lights, but he was definitely orange.
In a panic, I called the pediatrician who quickly reassured me that the carotene in the orange veggies had changed his skin tone from the inside out. My son would turn back to his normal color if I varied his diet.
Since then, I can spot babies who love carrots. Their skin gives them away!
As I live and work with others, I have also learned how to recognize those who have Christ and His truth as their foundation, those who base their whole lives on Him. They shine from the inside out, exuding hope and confidence and joy even when work is tough. Keeping Christ at the center of our lives shows through to the world.
In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus describes what people look like who follow Him and put His words into practice. It’s a story about people who build houses. The wise man built his house on the rock—on a solid foundation. When the storms came, the house didn’t fall because of its strong foundation. The foolish man built his house on the sand, a foundation that fell apart when the storms came.
In our lives, Jesus lets us choose how to build. Will we trust in things that won’t last? Will we trust in strength outside of God? Will we be battered by the storms of life?
Or will we trust in Jesus and His promises? If we follow Him, live like Him, and participate in building His kingdom, that foundation will support us through any storm.
Living in this world is difficult. We face temptations and struggles and worries. But we can trust Jesus as our foundation. In our relationships, in our families, and in our work, He will show us the path we are to follow. We can stop and breathe and listen to Him with our hearts and minds.
As we make space for Christ, we ask Him to lead us. He will help us make the right decisions, use our gifts creatively, and trust Him for the outcomes. He even gives us the courage and determination to accept His leadership. We need to lose our fierce desire to do it our way, and let Him lead us, His way.
What a relief to know that He will be our strength and our hope—even when the world crashes in around us. What a relief to know that others will see this hope shining through us, from the inside out.
Reprinted with permission. Originally published as “Let Hope Shine in Your Work” on 03/2/10 at TheHighCalling.org.
To view previous issues of Women @ Work, click here.
